Hello,
a few weeks ago I competed with my team at the EY-Parthenon case study and we made it to the final round. I will apply to consulting firms later this year, however, I am not sure how much emphasis I should put into mentioning competition in the CV and Cover letter.
I would mention it in the extracurriculars on the CV, as EYP- finalist, however I think it would be also better to say it on my cover letter as well.
Any ideas?
Thank you
Hi there,
Add the competition, but you don't need to make a big deal out of it.
A case competition is “worth” 1-2 lines…max!
Hi there,
Q: I would mention it in the extracurriculars on the CV, as EYP- finalist, however I think it would be also better to say it on my cover letter as well. Any ideas?
You can mention it in the CV, no problem with that.
In terms of the cover, the “Why you” section should reflect skills useful for consulting. You can include the competition if you believe it can help to show those skills (eg if you had a leadership role during the competition, it could help to showcase that).
For more information on the Cover, you can check the following:
▶ How to Craft a Great Cover Letter
Best,
Francesco
Congratulations on making it to the final round of the EY-Parthenon case study competition! That's a commendable achievement and definitely something worth highlighting in your applications.
In your CV, you should indeed mention this in the extracurricular section. List it as one of your key achievements and mention the skills that you have developed and demonstrated during the competition, such as teamwork, problem-solving, and analytical abilities.
As for your cover letter, it's also a good idea to include it, particularly if you can tie it into a narrative about your interest in consulting. It could be part of the story that explains why you are interested in consulting and how you have proactively sought out opportunities to develop and demonstrate relevant skills. Remember, a cover letter is a chance to tell a compelling story about your journey and interest in consulting, and this experience seems like a key part of that story for you.
In both documents, ensure you're not just stating that you were a finalist but also describing what you did and what you learned from the experience. It's the insights and skills you gained from the experience, and your ability to articulate them, that will impress the consulting firms.
Good luck with your applications!
Hi there,
I would definitely mention it.
The actual phrasing of it however matters and it's difficult to advise you without having the context of the full document. One thing that is important to do is to explain and mention it as a percentile of total participants - as in, you were one of the finalists, so top x% of participants. This will give them an idea of your positioning within the cohort.
You might want to consider getting some expert support on the CV. This is one of the highest ROI areas in working with a coach, because it helps position you within the best 10% of applicants by emphasizing all the right things in your application package (CV, cover letter), plus you can use the asset even for future applications.
Last but not least, if you're at the application stage now, make sure you go broad to manage for the current high standards around screening. Here's a guide on how to do that:
Best,
Cristian
It's worth mentioning in your CV.
You can mention in your Cover Letter… if you can tie it to the pitch you are trying to make, i.e., there needs to be a story there (either on your motivation or on your skills).
Hi there,
suggest you definitely put it on your CV. Optional for Cover Letter - 1 sentence is not going to be a game-changer for your candidacy, to be honest.
Feel free to reach out to me or any of the other coaches, if you need help with the ideal positioning in your application documents.
Regards, Andi
